Wind Energy

Wind energy in Brazil: Ceará will receive 48 new wind farm plants

Ceará has 17 wind farms and 48 must be installed over the next four years, according to the state government. The first wind farm in Ceará, in the Port of Dunes in the city of Aquiraz, consists of 20 wind turbines which together produce enough electricity to power a city of up to 100,000 homes.

Ceará is the largest producer of wind power in the country. Besides Aquiraz, they are installed in Aracaraú, Montada, Aracati, Beberibe Camocim, Paracuru, Sao Goncalo do Amarante and Fortaleza, all cities of Ceará. Currently, 40% of electricity consumed in the entire state is generated from the wind power.

"We’re located in one of the richest regions of the planet in terms of solar power and wind energy, so I can study what we consider conservative, we would have power equal to that of Itaipu, which is the second largest dam in the world", says Professor of power of the Federal University of Ceará Paulo Carvalho. The wind energy are the cleanest form of energy generation, according to the professor.

Even in full production, wind power has a complementary profile, because of the fickleness of the winds. "One aspect is extremely advantageous marriage of wind power and hydropower. The basis of electrical energy will always be solar energy, I am holding water in the reservoir and the water lasts all year long," explains Paulo Carvalho.

Wind power in Brazil

1997: 3 MW
1998: 17 MW
1999: 19 MW
2000: 22 MW
2001: 24 MW
2002: 22 MW
2003: 24 MW
2004: 24 MW
2005: 29 MW
2006: 237 MW
2007: 247 MW
2008: 339 MW
2009: 606 MW
2010: 931 MW
2011: 1,509 MW

By José Santamarta, www.evwind.com